Tabe

H.E.A.T, with "It's All About Tonight" are literally the band that turned me onto modern hard rock in general, and this site in particular.  So definitely a special place in my heart for this band.

Put me firmly in the "likes it a lot" camp on this album.  Is it perfect?  No.  Is it a 98/100?  LOL, no. But I like it a lot.

First, I don't hear all the same mix issues that some of you have mentioned.  Is it a little loud in parts?  Yeah, I can hear that.  But it certainly doesn't ruin the songs or anything.  But I don't hear Kenny buried in the mix or the lyrics being unintelligible or anything like that.  I've listened on a good pair of Sony headphones and my car stereo - no issues in either place.

Secondly, I definitely appreciate that they kept the harder sound from the Erik era.  The best songs here aren't as good as Erik's best ("Point of No Return", "Rise", and "Come Clean" probably being my top 3) but they are really good.  "Tainted Blood" is excellent (see below, however).  "Wings of an Aeroplane" is also really good.  "Hollywood", which I didn't love before, is growing on me even if I do still hate the chorus.  All in all, I really like the songs on offer here.

Thirdly, if I'm going to critique, it's Kenny's vocals.  For the most part, he does an excellent job.  When he's just singing the songs, he's great.  He's not Erik, but he does an excellent job.  However, on multiple songs, Kenny tries for vocal histrionics that sound strained and just don't work.  Like on "Tainted Blood", for example.  

Bottom line for me is that is a very good H.E.A.T album.  It's not "H.E.A.T II" or "Tearing Down the Walls" or "Live in London" but it's better than the first two albums or "Into the Great Unknown".

8/10.

After a couple listens, I'm not impressed.  The songs kind of all run together and sound the same.  Nothing terrible, just blah.

Yeah, mixed feelings is the right phrase here.  This album isn't bad but it's bland and forgettable.  The two Kent Hilli songs are probably my favorites but they sound very similar to other stuff he's done.  

There's just nothing here that stands out.

I just love these guys. Another quality track from them:

I like the new track but I don't love it.  Especially on their first album, Wildness had a bit of a harder edge than what we get here.  I want that edge back.

Maybe a Steely Dan vibe? This was good stuff. Thanks! 

The above video is part of a live EP that Crowne is releasing. 

They also are working on a second studio album. That's great news for me as I absolutely loved the first album. 

As for the video, sure sounds like a ton of, uh, "producing" went on top of the live audio. 

So, yeah, I broke down and picked this one up.  It's boring and the production is bad.  It sounds like the band was never in the same room together with lots of mud thrown on top.  

I want to like that song but I hate the lead vocals. That fake, altered voice sound isn't working for me. 

3 hours ago, AlphaMale said:

yes..... boring!

Absolutely. 

10 hours ago, Geoff said:

I am an absolute dickhead. 'Eclipse' is dreadful... arguably worse than this new album. 

The great album I am actually talking about is 'Revelation' from 2008. What an absolute muppet.

But yeah, I wish this new one was more like that, certainly not 'Eclipse.' 

Been awhile since I've listened to it but I recall thinking "Eclipse" was not good. 

But "Revelation" is, indeed, great. 

Sure - numerous other bands manage to not sound like they have awful production on YouTube or wherever but Journey is somehow uniquely impacted in that way. 

Awesome! The first two albums are great. 

3 hours ago, auslander said:

Yeah and some people slobber over Avantafantasia and the latest Reckless Love, so there is no accounting for taste.

Heck, the Journey Facebook page, which is normally a cesspool of people complaining about Steve Perry being gone, is full of people raving about it. RAVING about it. 

That first song isn't great but I think it shows promise.

Another quality track from a fabulous album. 

On 6/20/2022 at 10:43 PM, KarpetRydOFunk said:

Clearly, I was being hyperbolic. 

A nice companion to my tendency to be pedantic. 

Not loving the new song. It's alright. It does kinda sound like Magic Dance, just nowhere near as good. 

9 hours ago, Glen said:

and out of those tracks on Hysteria only God's of War needs to be over 5 mins imo. 

After posting, I realized I'd left out my thought that the songs on Hysteria are way too long. 

14 hours ago, KarpetRydOFunk said:

I am one of the few who thinks the second is better than the debut. 

Also, when's the last time you lot have listened to Def Leppard's two biggest albums. Nearly every track is over five minutes. 

Pyromania has 2 (out of 10) tracks over 5 minutes. And 3 under 4 minutes. 

Hysteria is closer at 6 out of 12.

Has anybody EVER sat back and listened to a hair metal or hard rock album and said to themselves, "man, i really wish they'd record this again but WITH A SYMPHONY"? Plenty of acts have done this and I can't think of even one where it was any good - and I played cello for six years. 

I love the new track.  It's no "Buried Alive" or "Hurt" but I dig it a lot.  The second album is really good but not on the level of the first.  I love these guys, though, and can't wait for the new album.

On 6/15/2022 at 5:13 PM, Dead Planet said:

Tough crowd....personally I like that song.....

I don't love it but it's pretty good. 

9 hours ago, Stefan said:

Dude, don't you read the thread before posting? 

Eh, reading threads is overrated. 

I did actually scan through, somehow missed it. Quit picking on me!

24 minutes ago, AlphaMale said:

I'm a fool then. I still can't get into either of them. Boring and piss weak.

Our tastes line up once again - I don't like the first two H.E.A.T. albums either.  Like you said, boring and weak.